Student visitor visa

I have to apply for a student visitor visa in order to return to the UK to complete some coursework. I am currently in the UK on a T4 visa (expires next week) and my university's international office can only advise me on T4 visa matters. I know that I can apply for the student visitor visa at Passport Control on entry into the country but I would like a multiple entry visa. Do I have to return to the US in order to apply for it or is it possible to apply in, say, France?

As for evidence of financial sponsorship as part of the application, is it alright to use my UK bank statement?

I'm pretty sure you need to apply from the US, don't you? Applying from another country would only be done if you are a resident there.

Supporting documents include "Evidence of your permission to be in
the country where you are applying, if you are not a national of that country
This could be a residence permit, ‘green card’ or valid visa showing your
current immigration status."

That doesn't include visitor status, you have to be resident in the other country to be able to apply from there. Also, I'm not sure that applying for it beforehand would make a difference to whether it's multiple entry; usually the only difference for whether you apply at the border or beforehand. is whether you're a visa national (or have been refused a visa in the past) or not.

"A Student Visitor visa that is applied for overseas (Entry Clearance) is a multiple entry visa where as a Student Visitor Visa issued at the port of entry to the UK (available only to non-visa nationals) is a single entry visa and as such, these students would need to apply for another student visitor visa on arrival to the UK."

Where did you find that? I didn't see it anywhere in the immigration rules. Not saying it isn't true, just wondering the source!

Most university pages will have such information.

But the university won't necessarily be right.

Most university pages will have such information.

But they are not official sources of information (i.e. where did they get their information from?).

The UKBA website is the official source for visa and immigration information - and there's no guarantee that what it says on any university website is entirely accurate unless it is also stated on the UKBA website.

I believe it will be the case that if you apply for the visa beforehand it will be multiple-entry as the UKBA website says that almost all visit visa Entry Clearances was issued as multiple entry (mentioned here: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/ecg/vat/vat1/, but not on the student visitor guidance: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/ecg/vat/vat9/).

What I cannot find on the UKBA website is whether or not the stamp given at the border if you don't apply in advance is multiple entry (I don't think it is, but I can't find any official confirmation of this).

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If you will be applying for a student visitor visa, you must return to the US to apply for it (as others have said), as you can only apply from the country you have legal residence in.

There are a number of things you must show in order to be able to get the visa:

- You must have been accepted on a course of study for less than 6 months and have evidence of this from the academic institution (must be on official headed paper from the university, detailing the course title, the duration of the course and the cost of the course).

- You must show that you will be leaving the UK after your studies and have no inention of living here (for example, you will need evidence of a home and job or studies in the US to return to)

- You must show that you do not intend to marry while in the UK, that you will not work (paid or unpaid) and that you will not use the NHS.

- You have enough money to pay for your return ticket home  (if you don't apply for the visa beforehand and just get it on entry to the UK, you will need to have a return ticket with you).

It's from the university page for international students of a highly trusted sponsor and Russell Group member. I doubt they are making up rules or going on a hunch as they risk losing their status with the Border Agency. In any case, I received the answer I was seeking from another source, and it differs from what you have been stating here.

If you have the answer you want, why ask here?

It's from the university page for international students of a highly trusted sponsor and Russell Group member. I doubt they are making up rules or going on a hunch as they risk losing their status with the Border Agency. In any case, I received the answer I was seeking from another source, and it differs from what you have been stating here.

I'm not saying that the university pages are definitely wrong or right... they may well be giving correct information. I'm also not saying that they are making anything up, but they may not have all of the knowledge of the immigration rules and the information on there may not apply in every single circumstance.

I'm just pointing out that they are not official sources of information and so should not be relied upon to be accurate unless you have confirmed their accuracy against what it says in the actual immigration rules laid down by the UK government.

You can check your info against the official UK immigration rules set out on the UKBA website, which you can read here: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/immigrationlaw/immigrationrules/part1/

Paragraph 20 is regarding admission on a visitor visa, and states that if you have permission to stay in the UK for 6 months or less on a visitor visa, the visa permission lapses if you leave the UK and travel outside the CTA, and you need a new visa to enter again. Paragraph 20A then states that if you apply for a visa in advance (entry clearance), then the leave will not lapse if you leave the UK and CTA... but that seems to only apply to visas 'other than a visit visa'.
 
Now it may be the case that if you apply for entry clearance in the US, you will be issued with a multiple entry visa, however, looking at the official rules, it seems that it is not absolutely guaranteed that you will get one... therefore it may not be absolutely accurate that the university websites are stating that you WILL get a multiple entry visa if you apply in advance (it will depend on each individual application case).

20. The leave of a person whose stay in the United Kingdom is subject to a time limit lapses on his going to a country or territory outside the common travel area if the leave was given for a period of six months or less or conferred by a visit visa. In other cases, leave lapses on the holder remaining outside the United Kingdom for a continuous period of more than two years. A person whose leave has lapsed and who returns after a temporary absence abroad within the period of this earlier leave has no claim to admission as a returning resident. His application to re-enter the United Kingdom should be considered in the light of all the relevant circumstances. The same time limit and any conditions attached will normally be reimposed if he meets the requirements of these Rules, unless he is seeking admission in a different capacity from the one in which he was last given leave to enter or remain

Non-lapsing leave
20A. Leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom will usually lapse on the holder going to a country or territory outside the common travel area. However, under article 13 of the Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) Order 2000 such leave will not lapse where it was given for a period exceeding six months or where it was conferred by means of an entry clearance (other than a visit visa).

and then there is also paragraph 28, which talks about which country you can apply from. It does state that visitor visa applications can be made from countries with designated posts, while all other visa applications must be made in the country you are resident in as long as they have a designated post.

I've never actually seen anyone here at UK-Y try to apply for a visitor visa in a country they are not resident in though, so I'm not sure about the success rate of doing this.

28. An applicant for an entry clearance must be outside the United Kingdom and Islands at the time of the application. An applicant for an entry clearance who is seeking entry as a visitor must apply to a post designated by the Secretary of State to accept applications for entry clearance for that purpose and from that category of applicant. Subject to paragrapgh 28A, any other application must be made to the post in the country or territory where the applicant is living which has been designated by the Secretary of State to accept applications for entry clearance for that purpose and from that category of applicant. Where there is no such post the applicant must apply to the appropriate designated post outside the country or territory where he is living.

If you have the answer you want, why ask here?

That's exactly what I was thinking.   

If you have found the information from the UKBA website and it does differ from what people on here are saying, you can post the link so they can know the correct information if the answers they have given you do turn out to be incorrect.